Heritage Canada  Mr. Speaker, the auditor general has identified a lack of accountability for $700 million in grants and contributions of taxpayer money that Canadian Heritage currently spends. How could the government justify spending an additional $563 million by that department when it cannot account for what it currently spends?

Heritage Canada  Mr. Speaker, obviously the minister has chosen to ignore the auditor general's report. Will the minister delay the spending of the announced funds until her department cleans up its act?

The Economy  Mr. Speaker, the government could learn from the provinces. It was our leader, as the finance minister of Alberta, who changed the debt repayment legislation to raise the bar, to increase the debt repayment target. For our children, why will the government not commit that the $10 billion it says will go to debt repayment will become a yearly minimum amount of debt reduction for the rest of its mandate?

The Economy  Mr. Speaker, paying down the debt with budget leftovers is no plan at all. Taxpayers need more assurance than the whim of the finance minister that the debt will be repaid. After all, debt represents nothing more than future taxes on our children. When will the government commit to following the lead of the provinces of Alberta and Ontario and putting in place a legislated repayment plan of the debt so that Canadians will have a guarantee in law that our debt will be repaid?

Health  Mr. Speaker, yesterday in Toronto the Prime Minister demonstrated that the government's priorities are wildly out of line with those of Canadians. In giving $560 million to the arts, Canadians are left wondering how many MRI machines those tax dollars could have purchased. Could the Prime Minister explain to Canadians why their tax dollars are being spent on culture as defined by the government instead of being invested in health care?

Health  Mr. Speaker, the opposition understands perfectly. Canadians want investment in health care. Only this week we learned that one of the few parts of health care that the federal government actually manages, prescription drug testing and warnings, is so poorly managed that our physicians are now relying on Americans for information about drug safety.

Canada National Marine Conservation Areas Act  Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege to speak as the official opposition critic for Canadian heritage on this bill, Bill C-10, an act respecting the national marine conservation areas of Canada, at second reading. What we have before us today is the third attempt to pass this legislation.

Natural Resources  Mr. Speaker, if the Minister of Natural Resources had read his mail, he would have seen the letters on this issue. Obviously a deal in principle with a government which has no principles is no deal. The technology to be developed by the Canadian neutron facility holds the solution to tomorrow's energy crisis, the science for innovative new materials and research for medical breakthroughs.

Natural Resources  Mr. Speaker, on Monday the Minister of Natural Resources dismissed the plight of the laid off workers at Chalk River. Will the Prime Minister fulfil the campaign promise by funding the Canadian neutron facility?

Natural Resources  Mr. Speaker, since 1993 the Liberal government has cut hundreds of millions of dollars from Canada's centre of scientific excellence, the Chalk River Nuclear Laboratory. The CAT scan and the MRI technologies were developed at this world class facility. When will the government make good on its election promise and cut a cheque for the Canadian neutron facility to be built at Chalk River?

Natural Resources  Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Natural Resources. Recently Atomic Energy of Canada was forced to lay off workers at its Chalk River site. These are people with young families. Prospects for local employment are not great. When could we expect to hear the announcement that the Canadian neutron facility will be funded at Chalk River?

Parks Canada  Mr. Speaker, park wardens in our national parks have a proud tradition of service. The decision by Parks Canada to replace wardens with RCMP officers at double the cost of fully training and equipping a park warden does not resolve the problem of unsafe working conditions. Issuing shotguns to patrolling wardens only heightens the potential for violence when a non-confrontational approach is needed.

Resource Industries  Mr. Chairman, I have three brief questions to ask the government. One of Canada's natural non-renewable resources sector petroleum products appears to be in short deliverable supply. Does the Ministry of Natural Resources feel that reactor generated energy is necessary as part of Canada's energy mix?

Parliament Of Canada Act  Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege to rise today on behalf of the official opposition to speak to Bill S-10, an act to amend the Parliament of Canada Act respecting the establishment of a parliamentary poet laureate. On behalf of the Canadian Alliance, the notion of a poet laureate certainly appeals in a civilized sense to the beauty of the spoken word.

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation  Mr. Speaker, the summit of the Americas was an opportunity for Canada's publicly funded national network to keep the world informed. Imagine my disappointment on behalf of all Canadians when, during the height of the demonstrations, with the acrid stench of tear gas in the air, summit participants were forced to turn to CNN rather than the CBC to find out what was happening in the streets of Quebec City.